Game show capitalises on mixed marriages in Viet Nam

HCM City Television is working with the MayQ Media to launch a new singing TV game show targeting Vietnamese and foreign husbands and wives living in Viet Nam.

Vo Chong Minh Hat (Husband and Wife Sing Together), which will start next month, is expected to help the couples keep their love in marriage through the passion of music.

Couples of all ages are encouraged to send their photos and records or music video clips to the organiser at email vochongminhhat@gmail.com today.

The preliminary round will be held in Can Tho City and HCM City from September 14-16.

The jury band, including popular couples who work in the music industry, will choose 18 couples to enter the final round. The show will air on HTV9 every Thursday from October 9.

Tran Dynasty historical relics recognised as special national relic

Quang Ninh province held a ceremony on September 13 to receive the Prime Minister’s certificate recognising Tran Dynastry historical relics as a Special National Relic.

The ceremony took place at An Sinh temple in Dong Trieu district and was attended by former Presidents Tran Duc Luong, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pham Binh Minh and leaders of central and local departments, agencies and branches and a large number of local people and visitors.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy PM Minh stressed that Tran Dynasty historical relics in Dong Trieu district have many outstanding cultural and historical values.

Dong Trieu is the place where there are relics of specific pagodas and temples over Ly-Tran-Le dynasties with great contribution to the establishment and development of Vietnamese Buddhism. The ancestor worshipping temple in Dong Trieu district preserves the most influence of the Tran Dynasty. The district is also the location of the most tombs of kings and queens of the 14th century Tran Dynasty.

The Deputy PM suggested local authorities increase the efficiency of projects, aiming to preserve and promote historical values of the historical relics, and make the historical site become an attractive spiritual and cultural tourism destination on the world tourism map.

On the occasion, Dong Trieu city has been recognised as a fourth-class city under Quang Ninh province.

Stunning scenes, cultural values on show

The HCMC Exhibition House is displaying 35 calendar sets featuring beautiful images, picturesque scenes, cultural values and sovereignty of the nation over islands and waters.

Among the 35 calendar sets on show, the ‘Dao Ngoc Bien Xanh’ works depict the stunning beauty of Vietnam’s islands such as Truong Sa, Phu Quy, Hon Chuoi, Tho Chu, Con Son, Phu Quy and Hon Ba. These photos are selected from the “Vietnam viewed from the air’ collection by well-known photographer Gian Thanh Son.

The calendar sets themed ‘Viet Heritages’ and ‘365 days around Vietnam’ provide viewers with a glimpse of attractions around the country. Meanwhile, the ‘Viet relics,’ ‘Vietnam’s festivals’ and ‘Vietnamese folk games’ photos are about historical and cultural values.

The ‘365 days around the world’ set highlights famous tourist and cultural sites around the world.

Many new book titles of local and foreign publishing houses with discounts from 20% to 50% are also available at the exhibition, which lasts until September 21.

The Exhibition House is located at 92 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1, HCMC.

Local artist Tran Luong receives 2014 Prince Claus Award

Vietnamese artist Tran Luong has been named as one of the 11 laureates of the 2014 Prince Claus Awards for their pioneering work in culture and development.

Artist and curator Tran Luong is one of the laureates together with Principal Prince Claus Laureate winner Abel Rodríguez from Colombia and other artists from India, Peru, Turkey, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia and Nigeria.

Tran Luong is honored for his moving artworks that critique repression, emphasize human resilience and empower the individual through personal action and self-reflection as well as for his dedicated energy in developing spaces, initiatives, networks and communities for performance and video arts in Vietnam and in the region.

The Prince Claus Awards are presented annually to individuals and organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for their outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development and the positive effect of their works on their direct environment and the wider cultural or social field. The prizes include one Principal Prince Claus Award of 100,000 euros and ten Prince Claus Awards of 25,000 euros each.

Born in 1960 and graduating from the University of Fine Arts in Hanoi in 1983, Tran Luong spent his childhood and youth in rural areas, thus becoming acquainted with Vietnam’s traditional life and experiencing the diverse facets of the country’s nature, which are also reflected in his works. In 1983 he founded the artist group Gang of Five. His practice spans painting, installation, and performance art.

He has organized numerous workshops for young artists and curated performance festivals and exhibitions. His works have been on display in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Vietnam, Japan, Australia, the U.S., Germany, France and some elsewhere.

French dance group to perform contemporary work

A new contemporary performance named Your Ghost Is Not Enough by the French dance group Kubilai Khan Investigations will be staged at IDECAF (Institut D'Echanges Culturels Avec La France) next Friday, September 26, in HCM City.

"Nobody bathes twice in the same river" is the philosophy behind choreographer Frank Micheletti's work.

The dance is between a man and a woman who express the way they feel about each other and how they accept the other's world.

Micheletti says he wants to raise questions about being alone and being in a relationship.

Micheletti has studied theatre with Jean-Pierre Raffaelli and collaborated with Hubert Colas and Isabelle Pousseur. In 1996, with Cynthia Phung-Ngoc, Ivan Mathis and Laurent Letourneur, he founded the company Kubilai Khan Investigations.

Tickets are available at the venue, 28 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCM City.

Paintings by overseas Vietnamese depict beautiful rural scenes, women

Nguyen Trong Khoi, an overseas Vietnamese living in Boston, the US, is showing 20 of his oil paintings at the Cam Xuc Dai Ngan (Sylvan Sentiments) exhibition at Tu Do Gallery in HCM City.

The paintings, which were all created in recent years, depict rural landscapes and the beauty and freedom of mountains in nature.

Some of the paintings contain only grey, black and white, depicting people in nature. Others are in vivid colours that show women in states of joyfulness and sadness.

"I finds unlimited sources of inspiration in nature, beautiful women and landscapes. Through my art, I dream of a peaceful world for everyone," the 67-year-old said.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition are Nui Trang (White Mountain) and Nguoi Phu Nu Ao Do (Woman in Red). In Nguoi Phu Nu Ao Do, the artist uses red to depict a young girl in a dress with a bottle of wine and a peach on table in a sad and lonely state.

Khoi's last exhibition at Tu Do Gallery was in 2006.

The exhibition closes on September 26 at Tu Do Gallery, 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1.

VN, Belgium artists hold exhibition

An exhibition of etched paintings from artists of Viet Nam and Belgium has opened at the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in Verviers City.

Under the auspices of the Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the Dialogue of Viet Nam-Belgium Etched Paintings is being held first in Belgium from September 14 to October 19 and in Viet Nam in April next year.

A statement from event organisers which was released yesterday said Vietnamese artist Pham Khac Quang would be joining colleagues Le Huy Tiep, Ngo Anh Co, Nguyen Nghia Phuong, Phan Hai Bang and Pham Khac Quang in the artwork display, along with Belgian Pol Authom and his colleagues.

With the exhibits, participating artists aim to help audiences discover the typical cultural traits of the two countries, surpassing the cultural assimilation sparked by globalisation.

Also the display enables the public to learn about and experience contemporary artwork from a far-away land that they rarely have a chance to encounter.

Working sessions and exchanges among artists and students from both sides will be held either in Verviers or Ha Noi.

HCM City exhibition displays calendars for Year of the Goat

More than 35 collections of calendars for 2015 (the Year of the Goat) are on display at a Book and Calendar Week that opened at the weekend in HCM City.

They include many attractive designs showcasing Viet Nam and its people.

Highlights include seven-and five-sheet wall calendars with photos of the country's islands and waters, famous landscapes, handicraft villages, and traditional structures.

Calendar makers print a few hundred calendars in July and print more of those that sell well, according to Dai Nam Book and Calendar Company, one of the organisers of the event.

More than 1,000 Vietnamese and foreign books, comics, and magazines are also on display, with many being on sale at discounts of up to 40 per cent.

The event, at the Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, will go on until September 21.

Roy Lichtenstein's pop art inspires Vietnamese designer

Playful portraits by American pop artist Roy Fox Lichtenstein are featured on the latest creations of award-winning Vietnamese designer Cong Tri.

The HCM City-based designer has unveiled his fall-winter collection which has been inspired by the in-vogue pop art style.

Using Lichtenstein's comic art combined with bold and graphic shapes, Tri's collection features a wide range of creations, including crop tops, midi dresses, cocktail dresses and skirts.

The designer expects his chic creations to capture the interest of the local fashionistas.

Pop art, which emerged in the early 1950s, was a representation of the pop culture and modern influences during that era. The images of starlets, pin-up girls and iconic figures combined with graphic shapes and colours made these pop art pieces popular among the mainstream audience.

Modern pop art-inspired looks, which showcase celebrities, icons and other objects in bold and fluorescent colours, continue to be popular and influential especially among the young and modern.

Research to focus on the many faces of Hue classical drama

A scientific dossier on 50 masks used in Hue's ancient art of tuong (classical drama) is being compiled by researchers from the Hue Royal Traditional Arts Theatre.

The first project of its kind, it managed to gather 100 masks last year. The official dossier details and analyses the typical features of the masks used in Hue royal performance so as to compare with the art in their respective regions of the country.

The total 150 masks will serve as models for contemporary Hue artists and will also be displayed at public exhibitions.

New book on Sai Gon – Gia Dinh fine arts published

Painter and teacher of fine art, Uyen Huy, just published a research book featuring urban fine art found in Sai Gon –formerly Gia Dinh province – from 1900 to 1975.

The 650-page book, uses a wealth of valuable information and visuals to explore the influence of ancient cultures on the southern city.

The most remarkable turning point in the development of the southern region's fine art, it is argued, was the opening of two French schools that trained students in handicraft and decorative arts in Binh Duong (1901) and Dong Nai (1903). The French continued in this vein by opening the Gia Dinh Drawing School in 1913.

These schools effectively laid the foundation for the Indochina Fine Arts College in Ha Noi, which went on to train fine artists coming from all over Indochina.

Festival highlights HCM City’s integration

A festival highlighting the process of international integration and development in Ho Chi Minh City opened on September 12 with the participation of 17 countries worldwide.

The second annual event is exclusively designed for foreigners living in the city. It offers an opportunity for the participating nations to introduce their cultural identities while promoting the land and people of Vietnam.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan said the festival mirrors Vietnam’s wish to become a friend of all countries as well as its endeavours for peace, independence and development.

Tracy Peterson, American tourist, said he felt very lucky to be in the city for this festival. It’s very easy to tell that Vietnamese culture is very proud and wonderful and it’s easy to see how much Vietnamese people love their country.

Siron Uribe, Colombian tourist, said that this great festival is an opportunity to see the special tradition in Vietnam and how happy Vietnamese are.

The festival creates a chance for Vietnam to engage in exchanges with foreign countries, introduce its special cultural identities and heighten its position in the world, said Nguyen The Huy, student from Ho Chi Minh University of Science

The three-day festival features a string of activities with the most worthy of note being an exhibition on the city’s socio-economic, cultural and diplomatic achievements and the other on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

This year’s festival focuses on the city’s achievements as well as the beauty of the Vietnamese land and people, said Le Ton Thanh, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, adding it creates a playground for foreign countries to introduce their cultural identities, thus boosting the cultural exchange between Vietnam and other nations.

Other activities include a book exhibition, a fashion show, a cuisine contest, a singing competition and art performances.

Thr City has so far established the twining relationship with 34 localities across the world. It has developed trade relations with more than 220 countries and territories. Over 300,000 foreigners are living, learning and working in the city.

Lam Kinh Festival marks Lam Son uprising

This year’s Lam Kinh festival was held in central Thanh Hoa province on September 15 (the 20th day of the eighth lunar month) in celebration of the 596th anniversary of the Lam Son uprising and the 581st death anniversary of national hero Le Loi, also known as Le Thai To, the first king of the Vietnamese Le Dynasty.

The two-day ceremony was witnessed by ministers, provincial authorities and hundreds of thousands of local residents and tourists from across the country, who flocked to the historical site of Lam Kinh in Tho Xuan district to pay tribute to the Le Kings.

The ceremony featured a variety of traditional rituals in commemoration of the ancestors.

In addition to the traditional ceremony, art performances were organised, which re-enacted important historical events in the ten-year resistance against the Ming invaders, such as the ceremony when Le Loi and his soldiers took their fighting vows, Le Loi’s battles, and his coronation.

Various events paying tribute to King Le Thai To took place throughout the province, including sports competitions and cultural and folk games.

Documentaries, photographs and books on the uprising and the Vietnamese Kings of the late Le dynasty were exhibited during the festival.

Legend has it that the dire living conditions under foreign rule were the initial motivation for the uprising. Patriots, led by Le Loi, came together in the Lung Nhai Oath Ceremony in 1416 to declare their intent to liberate the country from the control of Chinese Ming invaders and bring peace to their compatriots.

Le Loi and his insurgent army claimed victory in 1427. He ascended the throne as Le Thai To in 1428, the first king of the late Le dynasty (1427-1789). He established the capital in Thang Long (now Hanoi) and renamed it Dong Kinh. He also made his birthplace, Lam Son, the second capital and named it Lam Kinh, also known as Tay Kinh.

Today, the passage of 600 years has left its mark on Lam Kinh, with the majority of buildings dating back to the Le dynasty in ruins or buried under more recent structures.

On September 26 last year, the historical site of Lam Kinh in Thanh Hoa province was recognised as a special national relic.

Mayor Alan Nagy of the City of Newark, California on September 11 honoured Vietnamese origin Jennifer Chung for her altruistic contributions in pageants and community activities in the US.

Mayor Alan Nagy called her a young and talented young lady, who has worked as CEO of a family owned multi-national cosmetics company since she was 21 years old.

She serves as an inspiration and exemplary role model for young people around the world, Mayor Nagy said.

Jennifer Chung has also been active in charitable activities to help the poor, old and homeless in the US.

Recently, she was instrumental in organising a Mid-Autumn festival for 10,000 people in San Jose, giving out more than 8,000 lanterns to children. 

Vietnamese fashion presented in Italia

A fashion show featuring Vietnamese designers’ latest works will be presented at the Museum of Rome in Italia on September 17.

Designers Minh Hanh, Lan Huong, Quang Nhat and Cong Khanh will introduce their collections which are made of Vietnamese traditional materials and reflect Vietnamese living and cultural values.

The fashion show is part of the Vietnam cultural week that was kicked off in Rome on September 10 under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and the authorities of Rome and Lazio region.

During Vietnam cultural week, a photo exhibition of Vietnamese women taken by Italian artist Paolo Belletti, a space for installation art with short videos and high fidelity sounds featuring daily life in Vietnam and a workshop on Vietnam tourism promotion were also introduced to Italian people from September 10 to 11.

Artisan preserves lotus tea making in Hanoi

A man in Hanoi is trying to maintain the traditional craft of making tea from lotuses specifically grown in West Lake amid increasingly scarce supply.

Truong Xuan and his son, Hoang Anh Suong, are locally famous for the making of several special teas, especially lotus tea.

In order to have enough materials for tea-making, Suong, the owner of the Hien Tra Truong Xuan shop, has to buy the entire batch of lotuses grown in West Lake.

“Even though there are several types of lotus in Vietnam, lotus flowers grown in the West Lake have a special taste, so tea made from these flowers is of premium quality,” Suong commented.

Even though the lake is large, there are only four or five lotus ponds. However photo-op areas built in the vicinity have made the supply even scarcer.

“More young people are paying to have their photos taken around lotus ponds, so some owners of these ponds prefer not to sell the flowers because they can make more money from their new businesses," he said.

They also face increased competition from other lotus tea manufacturers who may not be as careful with their ingredients.

Still, high quality lotus tea is much sought-after in the city, and because of its increasing scarcity, prices can reach as much as VND5 million per kilo.

The lotus season in the West Lake usually ranges from June to August, supplying material for tea making during the whole year.

Suong normally wakes at 5am and go to ponds and lakes to collect the flowers. The process of making lotus tea is rather complicated and time-consuming.

“In order to make one kilo of lotus tea we have to cover the tea with lotus flowers five to six times. It takes two days to complete this process. The tea is then dried in pan and carefully preserved to maintain the flavour. It takes a tranquil person to be involved in this trade,” he added.

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